Italy has approved a $15.5bn suspension bridge which will connect the mainland to the island of Sicily.Italy has given final approval to a long-delayed plan to construct the world’s longest suspension bridge, connecting the mainland to Sicily in a project worth €13.5bn ($15.5bn).Transport Minister Matteo Salvini hailed the Strait of Messina Bridge as “the biggest infrastructure project in the West” after a key government committee cleared the path on Wednesday. He said the project would generate 120,000 jobs annually and revitalise southern Italy through wider investment in infrastructure.Preliminary work could begin as early as October, pending a green light from Italy’s court of audit, with construction expected to start in 2026. Salvini estimated the bridge could be completed by 2033.With a span of 3.3km, the bridge would surpass Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge and carry six lanes of traffic and two railway lines, cutting the current 100-minute ferry crossing to just 10 minutes by car.Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the bridge would become “an engineering symbol of global significance”.The project, first proposed in 1969, has stalled repeatedly due to environmental objections, mafia fears and seismic risks. The design is inspired by Turkiye’s Canakkale structure, featuring a wing-shaped deck meant to improve stability in high winds.Defence or development?Rome says the bridge could help it meet NATO’s defence spending goals by classifying it as “dual-use” infrastructure, a designation that has caused controversy.More than 600 academics warned that such a move would re …
